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Golden Compass Program Helps Older HIV Patients Navigate Health Services

Published

8 years ago

March 19, 2017

By Niall Kavanagh, UCSF News

Norman Tanner was searching for something but he didn’t know what. In Southern California, most weren’t like him – a young, black, gay man. A friend told him to head north, where he’d find an open community. So, in 1976, Tanner – then 19 – headed to San Francisco.

Though he found a friendly group, Tanner still had trouble connecting. Most gay men didn’t disclose their sexuality, so – like many of them – Tanner used drugs to bond. At first, it worked. For years, Norman enjoyed an active social life.

Then, in 1990, the good times ended. After a routine blood test, Tanner learned he had HIV. At the time, HIV/AIDS was still a mystery and most with the diagnosis expected death. AIDS mortality would reach its peak in San Francisco in 1992 with roughly 1,800 deaths annually. Thinking he had little to live for, Tanner increasingly relied on drugs.

Lost again, Tanner sought help. A friend referred Norman to UC San Francisco’s Ward 86 at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, the world’s first HIV/AIDS outpatient clinic.

It was at Ward 86 that Tanner found compassion then. “The nurses treated me like a human being,” Tanner said. “They gave me hope.”

Ward 86 also is where he continues to receive care as part of Golden Compass, a new program to meet the health needs of the increasing population of HIV patients who are growing older.

“In the early days of the AIDS epidemic, patients – mostly men in their 20s and 30s – were often told they should plan for an early death,” says Monica Gandhi, MD, MPH, medical director of Ward 86. “HIV care was mostly palliative – making patients as comfortable as possible.”

In the 1990s, Tanner enrolled in addiction treatment and co-founded a support group. He read everything he could about HIV/AIDS, convincing him that better treatments were coming.

Tanner’s hunch was right. In 1996, more effective antiretroviral therapies (ART) were introduced, enabling people to live with HIV as a chronic disease. Since then, Tanner has been sober and on ART.

Though ART is effective in prolonging the lives of HIV patients, their aging process may be accelerated. Diseases that typically affect HIV-negative people in their 60s and 70s are increasingly affecting people with HIV in their 50s. For instance, HIV patients experience increased risk of heart disease, osteoporosis and memory problems, which may result from the disease itself, older medications or other factors like smoking.

Tanner is just one of 1.2 million people in the United States living with HIV. Of those, half of the adults are now age 50 or older. The rate is even higher in San Francisco – close to 60 percent.

To meet the health needs of this growing population, Ward 86 launched the new Golden Compass medical program in January. AIDS Walk San Francisco is sponsoring the program with a $100,000 donation, and recently committed another $75,000.

“People with HIV age faster and need specialized care,” says Gandhi. “Golden Compass is the first program in the country that offers the comprehensive care that older adults with HIV need.”

Since it opened in 1983, Ward 86 has a history of introducing innovations in HIV/AIDS care. San Francisco is now on track to become the first city to “Get to Zero” in terms of new HIV infections. As providers and activists throughout the city work toward this goal, Golden Compass will focus on improving care.

Golden Compass will provide multidisciplinary medical care, including cardiovascular, cognitive, strength and social support – among others – for patients with HIV over age 50.

“The name came from our patients,” says Meredith Greene, MD, associate medical director of Golden Compass and a geriatrician with HIV expertise. “They’re moving into their golden years but unsure how to navigate services. They need a guide.”

Once lost, Tanner regularly returns to the familiar HIV clinic where he is known as “Mr. Ward 86.” He is using Golden Compass for cardiovascular care and emotional support in addition to HIV treatment.

“I hope to age gracefully,” said Tanner. “Now I know the way.”

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Oakland Post: Week of November 20 – 26, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 20 – 26, 2024

Published

7 hours ago

November 22, 2024

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PRESS ROOM: Clyburn, Pressley, Scanlon, Colleagues Urge Biden to Use Clemency Power to Address Mass Incarceration Before Leaving Office

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Mass incarceration remains a persistent, systemic injustice that erodes the soul of America. Our nation has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with nearly two million people locked in jails and prisons throughout the country.

Published

1 day ago

November 21, 2024

Oakland Post

Read the letter here.

Watch the press conference here.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06), Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) led 60 of their colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden urging him to use his executive clemency power in the final months of his presidency to reunite families, address longstanding injustices in our legal system, and set our nation on the path toward ending mass incarceration.

The lawmakers hosted a press conference earlier today to discuss the letter. A full video of their press conference is available here and photos are available here.

“Now is the time to use your clemency authority to rectify unjust and unnecessary criminal laws passed by Congress and draconian sentences given by judges,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter. “The grant of pardons and commutations and the restoration of rights will undoubtedly send a powerful message across the country in support of fundamental fairness and furthering meaningful criminal justice reform.”

Mass incarceration remains a persistent, systemic injustice that erodes the soul of America. Our nation has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with nearly two million people locked in jails and prisons throughout the country. The extreme use of incarceration has resulted in one in two adults having had an incarcerated family member. People of color are disproportionately put behind bars, along with individuals from low-income communities, LGBTQIA+ folks, and those with disabilities. The bloated prison system reflects and emboldens biases that undermine the ideals of our nation and diminish trust in the rule of law. Mass incarceration attacks the most vulnerable Americans, thereby destabilizing families and inflicting intergenerational trauma.

In their letter to President Biden, the lawmakers praised the President’s efforts to create a fair and just criminal legal system by pardoning people convicted of simple marijuana possession and LGBTQ+ former servicemembers and urged the President to use his clemency powers to help broad classes of people and cases, including the elderly and chronically ill, those on death row, people with unjustified sentencing disparities, and women who were punished for defending themselves against their abusers. The lawmakers also outlined the fiscal toll of the growing mass incarceration crisis.

“You have the support of millions of people across the country who have felt the harms of mass incarceration: young children longing to hug their grandparents, people who have taken responsibility for their mistakes, and those who simply were never given a fair chance,” the lawmakers wrote. “These are the people seeking help that only you can provide through the use of your presidential clemency power.”

Joining Representatives Clyburn, Pressley, and Scanlon in sending the letter are Representatives Joyce Beatty, Sanford Bishop, Shontel Brown, Cori Bush, André Carson, Troy Carter, Yvette Clarke, Jasmine Crockett, Valerie Foushee, Al Green, Jahana Hayes, Steven Horsford, Jonathan Jackson, Pramila Jayapal, Henry Johnson, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Robin Kelly, Summer Lee, Jennifer McClellan, Gregory Meeks, Delia Ramirez, Jan Schakowsky, Robert Scott, Terri Sewell, Marilyn Strickland, Bennie Thompson, Rashida Tlaib, and Bonnie Watson Coleman.

The lawmakers’ letter is supported by the American Civil Liberties Union; Center for Popular Democracy; Last Prisoner Project; Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Death Penalty Action; The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls; The Faith Leaders of Color Coalition; Second Chance Justice of MCAN; JustLeadershipUSA; FAMM; The Episcopal Church; The Bambi Fund; Free Billie Allen Campaign; People’s Coalition for Safety and Freedom; Prophetic Resistance Boston; and Families Against Mandatory Minimums.

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Tennessee State University Set to Debut the First Division I Hockey Team at An HBCU

THE AFRO — “I am incredibly excited to embark on building this program, supported by God, my family, TSU students, alumni, and all those eagerly awaiting this moment,” said Duanté Abercrombie, the head coach of the Tennessee State Tigers ice hockey team, in a press release courtesy of TSU Athletics. “I firmly believe that one day, TSU will be recognized not only as a powerhouse on the ice but also as a program whose student-athletes leave a profound legacy on the world, enriched by the lessons learned at TSU.”

Published

1 day ago

November 21, 2024

admin

By Mekhi Abbott
Special to the AFRO
mabbott@afro.com

Tennessee State University (TSU) continues to break ground on a historic journey to become the first historically Black college or university (HBCU) to field a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I ice hockey team. Alongside some assistance from the National Hockey League (NHL), the NHL Players’ Association and the Nashville Predators, the TSU Tigers have already named their official head coach, unveiled their jersey and received their first official commitment from a student-athlete.

TSU held an official press conference to announce the plan in June 2023. Their first official season as a sanctioned Division I program is planned to commence in 2025-26. On April 18, TSU named Duanté Abercrombie as the head coach of the Tennessee State Tigers ice hockey team.

“I am incredibly excited to embark on building this program, supported by God, my family, TSU students, alumni, and all those eagerly awaiting this moment,” said Abercrombie in a press release courtesy of TSU Athletics. “I firmly believe that one day, TSU will be recognized not only as a powerhouse on the ice but also as a program whose student-athletes leave a profound legacy on the world, enriched by the lessons learned at TSU.”

Abercrombie was raised in Washington, D.C., and was mentored by hockey legend Neal Henderson, the first Black man to be inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. Abercrombie attended Gonzaga College High School and graduated from Hampton University, where he was a track and field athlete prior to retiring due to an injury. After college, Abercrombie briefly played professional hockey in both the New Zealand Ice Hockey League as well as the Federal Hockey League.

After his career as a professional hockey player, Abercrombie moved onto coaching, including stints with his alma mater Gonzaga and Georgetown Preparatory School. In 2022-23, Abercrombie was a member of the coaching staff for NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs organization.

“We are no longer doing club play in 2024-25. We are going right into D1 play for 2025-26,” Nick Guerriero told the AFRO. Guerriero is the assistant athletic director of communications and creative content at Tennessee State.

On Jan. 19, TSU got their first official commitment from an ice hockey recruit, Xavier Abel. Abel played at Drury University and scored 12 goals in 34 games, including three game-winning goals. Abel was recruited by Guerriero.

In July, the Tigers got their second commitment from forward Trey Fechko. In October, Trey’s brother Marcus Fechko also committed to Tennessee State. Since, the Tigers have also signed forward Greye Rampton, goaltender Johnny Hicks, Grady Hoffman and four-star forward Bowden Singleton. Singleton flipped his commitment from North Dakota to Tennessee State. Guerriero said that TSU has a “few” other recruits that they are waiting to announce during their November signing period.

“I think it’s important to invest in these unorthodox sports for Black athletes because it allows Black children to have more opportunities to play sports in general,” said Zion Williams, a 2024 Gettysburg College graduate and former collegiate athlete. “The more opportunities that children have, the better. They won’t feel like they are boxed into one thing or sport.”